| My introduction to the grand daddy of cell | | | | available.The cell phone system is divided |
| phones was while I was working as a Forest | | | | into small cells, which allows greater |
| Fire Lookout man, in the early 1980s. One of | | | | frequency reuse in an area, so that millions |
| my colleagues worked on a lookout tower, in | | | | of customers can use cell phones at the same |
| radio range of a radio telephone repeater | | | | time. Today modern cell phones can |
| tower. So he could use a radio telephone, | | | | communicate on 1,664 frequencies or more! |
| and free up more of the Forest Service | | | | Each cell occupies about 10 square miles. |
| frequency that I used. His radio telephone | | | | There can be 56 people talking on their cell |
| was about the size of a lap top. Cell phones | | | | phone at one time within the area of a cell. |
| are really down-sized radio telephones.The | | | | The cell phone uses a much less powerful |
| advantage cell phones have today, over the | | | | radio signal than a radio telephone. The |
| old Radio telephone, is that they are much | | | | larger number of cell phone towers makes this |
| smaller and easier to use than the old radio | | | | possible.Another advantage of using a low |
| telephones. Cell phones use very little | | | | power radio signal of 3 watts is that it |
| battery power compared, to a radio telephone. | | | | fades to near nothing past the edge of the |
| This fact has helped the cell phone | | | | cell; so the same frequencies can be reused |
| designers reduce their size to that of an | | | | in the neighbouring cells. As you travel you |
| object that can fit in your pocket.The radio | | | | are switched automatically from the cell |
| telephone was big and had to have a very | | | | tower you are moving away from to the next |
| powerful radio signal to reach the few radio | | | | best located tower in the area you are going |
| towers that existed. The radio signal it | | | | toward. As you travel your cell phone sends |
| transmitted had to be powerful enough to | | | | out a code signal which identifies itself, |
| reach a tower 40 or 50 miles away.Cell phones | | | | you the user, and the service provider. Your |
| today are much smaller, and easier to use. | | | | cell phone is always communicating with the |
| Both people on a cell phone call can talk at | | | | cell tower and its service provider. This is |
| once. Both listen at the same time. When | | | | done to keep track of which cell it is |
| using a radio telephone, only one person can | | | | located in, how strong the signal strength is |
| talk at a time, while the other person can | | | | received, and transmitted, and to determine |
| only listen. Since there are many cell | | | | if the cell you are in, is owned by your |
| towers in the system, many more people can | | | | provider, or another company. A person can |
| use cell phones, than could use the old radio | | | | travel for hundreds of miles and hold a |
| telephones. Radio telephones only had about | | | | conversation the entire time using cellular |
| 25 frequencies, available to use. Today each | | | | technology. |
| cell has about 56 voice channels | | | | |